Harried Hayden faces huge challenge

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Matthew Hayden has slipped into a state of confusion. His
batting has told the tale but it has not been the only sign of
uncertainty. Much could be deduced from his comments before
matches. In recent times he has spoken about his desire to bat an
entire day.

After his stint with a fishing rod, he returned to the fray to
pronounce that he yearned to be more patient. Even after a spell in
the paddock he was still thinking along the wrong lines.

Not so long ago, cricket was a simple game for this powerful and
secretly sensitive Queenslander. Inspired by the faith shown in him
by his last captain, he strode to the crease like a colossus.

In those days, he was a massive figure. He had bulging muscles
and a bat that might as well have been a tree trunk. Not a fellow
to bump into on a dark night. Not a man to confront with a mere
cricket ball.

At the crease, Hayden showed not the slightest sign of doubt or
hesitation. Confident of his position, he bludgeoned the bowling
from the first ball. He was not afraid to play across the line or
to lift the ball.

Not that Hayden was a mere bully at the crease. To the contrary,
he had the humility and wit to recognise and correct weak points.
When Darren Gough's inswingers troubled him on dank English
mornings, he countered by opening his stance.

When opposition captains spread their fields, he varied the
force and angle of his strokes. When spinners pushed their men back
to protect the boundaries, he used his feet to collect singles. In
short, he was more adaptable than might have been guessed from his
mien.

Now a different and more diffident Hayden emerges onto the
arena. Even his walk is not as much a statement of intent.
Certainly, it does not send shivers down the spines of the
leather-flingers. Although he does not exactly shuffle to the
crease with the aspect of the summoned schoolboy, nor does he
stride out like a warrior into battle. Suddenly, Hayden appears
vulnerable. As a result he faces the most serious challenge of his
resurgent career.

Confusion was evident in Hayden's brief innings at Adelaide
Oval. Hopes that his short break might revive his fortunes had been
dashed by his failure in Brisbane. Something fresh was needed,
something to rekindle his fire. Sensing that he had become too
cautious, he decided to attack.

To that end, he stepped down the pitch to his second delivery
and tried to blast it towards the long-on boundary. An inside edge
brought three runs. Facing Pedro Collins, a duffer who has turned
into a demon, he took a look at a couple of deliveries and
attempted to pull the next into the new stand at square leg. An
edge was held behind the wicket. Hayden had failed again - a mishap
that puts his place in danger.

Sportsmen need to understand their gift and themselves.
Sometimes these forces are in conflict. Hayden's problem has been
that he yearns to expand his character by exploring his wider
abilities. Naturally, he wants to move past his caricature as a
brawny Queenslander.

Yet the muscular banana-bender identity worked wonders on the
field. In seeking to widen his life, Hayden may have compromised
his game. Self-expression has had the opposite effect upon Justin
Langer, whose cricket has been boosted by his other activities.
Langer, however, has the advantage of missing the one-day
series.

Exhaustion has been Hayden's other problem. A longer rest is
needed. If that is not possible then he must restore the feeling of
hitting the ball hard by playing thundering straight drives in the
nets.

A few beers might also help. Anything to put the frowns back
where they belong - on the faces of opposing bowlers. As it stands,
it is hard to justify his continued selection.